A welcome down day!

We spent a quiet day here at the lake home today.  And that is what we really needed after a week of go go go every day.  As retired folks we are not used to a rigorous schedule, and the last week was just that.

Really, we only traveled about 225 miles on most of the days, but it seems like it took a collective toll on us.  Perhaps it was that we took the more rural route this time to Alabama, and we didn't have planned stops or camping reservations.  

We have been part of a world where everything is structured and planned for all of our lives, and just winging it has never been our strong suit.  So we are learning to have much looser plans, but it still causes some trepidation. 

Of course we did have the constraint that we had to be at the repair facility on Monday morning, and we made that with a day to spare, so perhaps we were all planned out just the same.  But without specific times and locations to make every day it just seems all loosey goosey.

As far as our big travel day yesterday, it was always in the plan to do that if we could get away in a timely fashion.  With our new puppy, Biscuit, we knew it would be much easier if we did not have to stay in a motel.  She sleeps in a crate every night, and has since we brought her home, so confining her in the motel room is not an issue.   But, finding that pet friendly place, late at night becomes the problem.  And then we are back to the bit about planning.  If we hadn't gotten out of Red Bay as early as we did, where would we have ended our day?  And since most of the towns along the Northern Arkansas Southern Missouri route would be lucky to only have one motel, we were back to the pet friendly issue again.

This is what is so great about the RV, you can end up where you end up.  Even if that is in a gas station parking lot for several hours.  Well it all worked out, and we are back in our comfort zone.

Today, we did laundry and watched the dark overcast clouds go over central Missouri.  Our high here was only in the mid 50s as we finally decided to go into Wal Mart for a few hours.  I waited in line for the oil change service in the back of the store, as Loyce shopped for some groceries.  

I continue to go back to the Wal Mart for service on the cars, since I have had such exemplary service in the past!!  LOL.  But truthfully, I have never had a problem with the store here in Osage Beach, and today they even allowed me to leave Biscuit in the car while they worked on it.  We have 1500 miles now, and I like to get the first oil change on a new car at that mileage.  It used to be that any metal particles in a new engine would be caught in the filter by then.  But now, with modern manufacturing techniques, I'm certain that a quick oil change is more of a tradition than a requirement.

Tonight we have sat here and watched the circus on the news channels about Mr Obama's birth certificate.  What a waste of time!  Ooops, I'm not supposed to be voicing opinions on here.

Retired Rod